1851 Navy Cartridge Conversion

The Uberti 1851 Navy cartridge conversion stands as a fascinating cinematic anomaly, famously carried by Clint Eastwood’s "Man with No Name" in the 1966 movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from the Italian director Sergio Leone. 

While it looks every bit the part of a Colt 1851 Navy revolver, this specific configuration never actually existed as a historical Colt factory model. It is a creative hybrid—a cartridge conversion of a black powder revolver that features a distinctive metallic cartridge cylinder while retaining the loading lever and octagonal barrel of the original percussion design.

Mechanically, the revolver is a single-action piece chambered in .38 Special, a modern concession that made blank-firing easier on film sets compared to authentic 19th-century calibers. It features a standard six-shot capacity and a traditional 7.5-inch barrel, giving it the balanced, slender profile that became synonymous with the "Spaghetti Western" aesthetic. 

Users and collectors appreciate this model primarily for its iconic silhouette and its role in revitalizing the Western genre. Its ergonomics are superb, offering the legendary point-ability of the original 1851 Navy frame and providing a tactile connection to cinema history: a beloved masterpiece of style over strict historical substance, embodying the rugged spirit of the “Italian” frontier.